Family and Birthrights
by Medieval Fan
Summary: Cassandra had hid her birthright from her companions, hoping to reveal it when she was ready. Alistair found out before the time came. How will he help her get through it? I'm terrible at summaries. Two-shot?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first ever fanfiction. It's been on my mind for some time now.** =)

Disclaimer: I do **not** own Dragon Age: Origins.

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"There has to be another option," Cassandra muttered.

Jowan had been released by the warden, much to the arlessa's disapproval. There had to be another way than to kill Connor directly. Cassandra had never slain a child, and she didn't want to now. Even if it was the quickest and fastest choice. Morrigan cleared her throat loudly and stepped forward.

"There is another way," she stated. "In the fade is where the demon lies, and there the demon is connected with the child. If were to go to the fade and were to successfully slay the threat there, the child will remain unharmed. However, to perform this ritual, we need a group of several mages and a lot of lyrium."

"What about the Circle?" Alistair suggested. "We have a contract with them anyway. We're bound to end up going there sooner or later."

Bann Teagan frowned. "But the tower is at least a day away, if you go across by lake at least."

"It's a risk we'll have to take," Cassandra replied. "I am _not_ about to slay a child. Connor won't remain passive for long however, so we must go as quickly as possible. In the mean time, I suggest you don't go up to the second floor. Bann Teagan, can you arrange for a boat to take us across the lake by nightfall? Around the lake would take weeks to even get there, and more to travel back."

He hurried off with a nod of assurance. The group immediately broke off, knowing there was nothing much to do at this point. Cassandra slipped away from the hall unnoticed and into the next room. She didn't want any one of her companions to follow her. She headed into the arl's study to poke around before going anywhere else. In the desk drawer, she found an amulet.

It was old and looked as if it had been pieced back together by careful mending. It's color was bronze, and on the back there was a symbol. A small flame of Andraste. A memory flooded into her mind of what Alistair had told her. He'd thrown his mother's amulet- the only thing he had left of her- against the wall and it had shattered. It had to be it. Something told her to hold on to it for a while, and give it back to him. Carefully, she slipped the trinket into a pouch hanging on her belt, and stepped out of the room.

She was heading to the second floor.

* * *

"Dear Maker," she cursed, "these damn things are everywhere."

On the second floor, dead corpses were scattered about on the ground. All were equipped with weak armor and rusty weapons, which was the silver lining. As soon as she had managed to step pass them, they rose up and began hacking at her with swords and axes. The demon's work. Quite easily, she fought them and brought them back down. Slowly, she made her way through to the bedrooms at the top floor, sending a silent prayer to thank the Maker that they didn't yet rise again for the time being.

She found Connor in the center of the room, standing still. Many features were etched onto his face. Sorrow, regret, despair, and fear. She glided over to him, sheathing her weapons to show that she was no danger to him. He flinched as she drew closer.

"Go away," he demanded in a whimpered. "She won't like you being here. She'll just try to hurt you."

"Who are you talking about?" she inquired softly.

"The scary lady... who speaks to me in my dreams," he answered. "She's quiet now, but she's never very far. I tried to stop her, but I can't. She said she'd help Father. I didn't think she'd hurt everyone. Honestly, I didn't!"

She asked him many questions then, now knowing that the demon was away for the time being. If she were to possess him again, Cassandra planned to simply vanish in the shadows and make a quick escape. No, the demon wouldn't dare to hurt Connor.

"I want to help," Cassandra stated after finished. "But... I don't want to hurt you."

"Then what will happen?"

"There's another way. I'll go to the Circle Tower, and I _will _persuade them to help in the matter. Do you know about the fade? Well, that's where the demon is. If we kill here there, you'll remain unharmed."

"Why do you want to help me?"

Cassandra crouched down to his eye level, and managed to let a small smile come onto her own face. "I used you have a nephew, you know. You remind me so much of him... He'd always want to help both his mother, and my brother with whatever he could, just because they were his parents and he loved them. That's what you're doing here."

Connor seemed to catch her word quickly. "_Used_ to?"

"First, but first you have to promise me you won't tell this information to anyone else. I'll tell them when I choose to, in time. Can you promise me that?" He nodded, and she went on, "Months ago, my nephew was killed along with the rest of my family. My mother, father, sister-in-law... they're all dead. My brother hadn't been there that night, because he was heading into the war at Ostagar. I've no family left... but I deeply hope my brother is... somewhere in Fereldan. I want to help you. Please, let me."

A single tear trickled down her cheek. Most of her emotions were still bottled inside her, but she was relived that she was able to tell a small part of it to somebody. Connor stretched out his hand to rest on her shoulder in a form of comfort. She smiled at the gesture.

"Okay, I'd appreciate it... if you can help," Connor said.

"I swear, I'll help you. On my life."

"Promise?"

She held out her little finger to him, and he joined it with his own after removing his hand from her shoulder. It was something that children did often. A promise you could not break.

"I promise."

Little did she know that somebody else had found out that day at the exact same time. Standing quietly behind the front door was Alistair. He had been there the whole time.

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**So... how was it? Not too sure if I made spelling errors or not. I'd like to hear feedback. Flames and reviews are welcomed. I need to know how to improve. =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I made the idiotic mistake of calling the Couslands royalty in my summary. Thanks to the reviewer who pointed that out! See? I'm not very observant. =P**

**Here is the second and final chapter of my first fanfic.**

Disclaimer: I still do **not** own Dragon Age in any way.

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Alistair stood behind the door, trying his best not to make a sound. All of her family had been slain? He remembered about all the moping he had done, right after the battle at Ostagar, about Duncan's death. There had been a despair in Cassandra at the camp for weeks, but he'd never thought to ask if there was something wrong or if she wanted to talk about something. All he did was wallow in his own sadness. Some friend he was.

Cassandra stood up, about to leave the room most likely. It quickly registered that she would see him if he didn't move now.

"Wait," Connor said. "I don't understand something. Why was your family killed? There has to be a reason."

Yet Alistair wanted to know that answer also. He didn't budge from his spot.

"Power," she answered simply. "My father was... the teryn of Highever."

Oh Maker.

_She_ was the last of the Couslands? Rumors had been floating around about the massacre at Highever Castle in almost every town they came across on their quest. The only information given as to why this occurred was because the Cousland were proven to be traitors, and that was that. He doubted that the Couslands were traitors, because of all the stories he'd heard about them. He found himself wishing that he had payed attention to the rumors nonetheless. What was the reason they were said to be traitors?

Alistair broke free from his thoughts quickly. Cassandra was heading towards the door! He turned on his heel and darted down the staircase. That was a time he hadn't wished to be so clumsy. He tripped over a corpse of the one of the corpses in the hall. The clang of his heavy armor against their own armor sent a loud clang that the whole castle must have heard. Great. Really.

"Alistair!" Cassandra screamed. "What are you doing here?"

She stood over him, eyes narrowed and filled with rage. Turning around, and still on the ground, he looked up at her nervously. Sometimes this woman scared him, and now was one of these times. Her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for an answer.

"I-I... uh, this isn't what it looks like," he attempted.

"Like I'll believe that," she spat. "I heard your boots hitting the ground from behind the door just moments ago. Explain, now."

He couldn't worm his way out of this one nor lie to her about it. He dared to stand up.

"Look, can we talk about this somewhere else? These... undead things could rise again at any moment, and they're starting to give me the evil eye." He paused and kicked the nearest one in the head in disgust, making it fall apart from the rest of the body. Looking back at her, he hurried on, "I think I can only take one evil eye at a time."

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They stopped at the windmill just outside of the castle. He'd been leading her as far as he could, but found that he couldn't delay the conversation for that long. There was only so far he was allowed to walk. The two stood face to face at an arms length apart.

"First off, why were you following me?" Realization dawned on her. "D-did you think I would go back on my word and kill Connor?"

That was only half true. Perhaps he didn't know his fellow warden as well as he thought. The other half was because he knew about how terrible demons could be in battle, and wanted to be there to protect her if it were to take form and attack her.

"That's... not completely true," he replied.

She couldn't look at him right now, turning around to face away from him. "How much did you hear of our conversation?"

"All of it."

An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. Thoughts thumbed through his head about trying to make a joke to lighten the mood, but something told him not to.

"How could you hide this from us for so long?" Alistair inquired. "It's been months since the battle at Ostagar... don't you trust us enough to tell us about your past?"

"Don't turn this around on me like I'm the bad guy," she hissed, turning around to face him. "I wasn't ready to let anyone know- which I'm sure you heard me tell Connor while you were snooping around- and was planning on telling you all later. Why don't you answer this question... why did you keep your birthright a secret from all of us?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "You never asked?"

"I'm hurt that you didn't trust me," she spat. The venom never left her voice.

Oh, she was evil, turning this on him. He sighed, and began to explain, "Please don't think that. Of course I trust you. The thing is-"

"Obviously you don't trust me if you thought I would go back on my word and kill a child," she interrupted.

"-It's just that I'm used to not telling people who didn't already know. It was always a secret- even Duncan was the only Gray Warden who knew. And then after the battle, when I should have told you... I don't know. It seemed like it was too late by then. How do you just tell someone that?"

"It's come up Alistair. You've been avoiding it."

"Yes, well, I could say the same for you too. That's all I have to explain, I suppose." He stepped forward and rested both of his hands on her shoulder to keep her from moving. "Look, you know you can talk to me about your past if you want to. You were there for me to get help get through Duncan's death, and listened to my constant babble about my childhood. I want to help you, if I can."

Her eyes avoided his, her anger faded, and a frown etched onto her face. She had to let it all off of her chest. It killed her to not talk about it.

"I thought it was going to be a normal day," she murmured, "and that nothing bad would happen. My father and brother Fergus were suppose to head off to the coming war at Ostagar along with Arl Howe. Howe said his men were delayed because of bad weather, and that they would arrive at Ostagar later than expected. Father told me to pass on the message that Fergus should leave without him with the soldiers of Highever. And then Duncan walked in, as a guest to our castle.

"All he told me was that he was going to test Ser Gilmore, the captain of the guard and my dear friend, out for Grey Warden recruitment. I hurried off soon after to bid my brother farewell and tell him the message, right after retrieving Bear from raiding the larder."

"I knew that dog was no good," Alistair muttered.

"Fergus left an hour later, and I retired to go to bed earlier than usual. In the middle of the night, I heard Bear barking and growling at the door. Something had to be wrong, so I slipped on my armor and hardly grabbed my weapon when the door broke down. 'My lady, the castle is under attack!' I heard, and then one of the Highever civilians fell down onto the floor dead.

"We killed the men outside the door quickly. The crests they wore... they were Howe's soldiers! He attacked us while our castle defenses were gone. Mother ran out from her bedroom then, already dressed in her own armor and her bow. Father wasn't with her, and we thought the worst. We fought our way through to my sister-in-law's room first... and... they were dead."

Tears streamed down her face now, but she kept her voice as steady as she could and went on. "I couldn't believe it. And then I realized that Howe wanted to overtake our castle for power. We fought through only part of the enemies to find Father. He was in the larder near the secret exit... hardly alive in a pool of his own blood. Duncan had saved him and brought him there, but there was almost no use in it.

"When Duncan walked in, Father begged him to take Mother and I to safety. But Duncan had one condition... that he wanted for me to become a Grey Warden. I refused constantly, and he invoked the Right of Conscription on me! Mother then told everyone that she would stay with Father until the end, and kill every soldier who walked through the door to buy us time. Before I knew it, Duncan dragged me out through the tunnel."

Cassandra squirmed out of Alistair grip and clung onto him sobbing madly. Alistair wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"I... wish I had stayed to d-defend them," she cried. "I... should have d-died with t-them..."

In a way, he was relieved that she was here and had survived. He couldn't imagine having to get this far without her.

"You weren't meant to die," he said softly. "What about your brother? He could still be alive for all you know."

"I can't l-look for him n-now. N-not with the blight to d-deal with. I'll... have to w-wait until we finish... if we make it... to look for him."

Alistair rested his cheek on the top of her head. "If we do make it through this... you have my promise that I will do all I can to help you find him."

Thank you, Alistair, she thought. And she continued to sob.

* * *

It had been weeks since Cassandra's break down, and within that time she announced to everyone about her past. She thought she owed them that, for she had asked many questions about their own. They hadn't taken it badly, and treated her the same thanks to her request. That night the group was in camp, just a day away from Redcliffe. Their goal to give the sacred ashes to the arl in hopes of healing him.

Alistair and Cassandra were on first watch that night, sitting side by side against the large trunk of a tree. Cassandra was the first one to break the silence.

"Alistair?"

"Yeees?"

"I just wanted to thank you for... well, listening to my past, a few weeks ago. I really needed to tell somebody about it, whether I wanted to or not... and you were there for me. Even after the way I blew up at you. You're a true friend."

He smiled, glad he was the first one to hear it in their group. Glad that he had been there to help her through it, even if all he did was provide a listening ear.

Suddenly she grabbed his hand, and pressed something cool into his palm. He brought it closer to his face to study it in the dark. An amulet. The faded symbol of Andraste was imprinted on it, and many nicks and scratches were on the surface. No, it couldn't be...

"This is my mother's amulet."

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**I feel as if this one is a little... rushed? I'm not sure if Cassandra explaining what happened was very well written anyway.**

**Thanks to everyone who read this. =)  
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